To the youngest 2

Hi Meabh and Clodagh,
i just read your blogs and they are brilliant. Imagine your last days at school. So, we'll be on holidays together when I get back.
can't wait. Love Mum.

The last full day

The time has flown by and yet is seems so long since i saw you guys and i am getting excited now about landing back at Dublin airport and seeing you all and getting big hugs from the 4 of you.
I have done a little shopping for each of you and look forward to giving them to you.Little African treats.
Hugs and kisses to all.
Loved reading your blog last night.                  

Hi Mum!

mum hi

i had a party at school today.(tuesday)

we wached madagascar it was soooooooooooooo good.

what is 1 apple + 1 apple ? ( i am great at this tipe of sum) 2 appl

i loved at the end of the moovie cos the hippo and the zeabra and the lion.

well ta ta for now

clodagh

The News.

Hi Mum,
How are you? Everyone is good here. 
Yesterday, (Monday) we swapped classrooms, and I went up to 5th. Mr. Mac was there, and he explained what we would be doing next year. He said he hoped we would be able to do some wood work, which sounds very exciting. 
Today we brought in our bikes. Not everyone could bring theirs in, so we had to be split into 2 groups. First the boys went, and then the girls. We went to Aughinish. We paddled, and of course someone had to splash Ailbhe. I won't say who that someone was, but I'll just say her initials were K.B. If you can't guess by that, I will think that you don't have a brain bigger than a pea. 
After school today, dad brought me, Clodagh and Ailbhe in for ice-creams. 
Tomorrow we are having an end of year party. I will bring in toffees. 
Thats all for now,
Love Méabh. xxx

Just in case you're feeling homesick ....

Things to do (and some that are done) this evening:

check bags
get out uniforms
lunches - hey, it's your week .... hmmmm....
check hair (affirmative)
do stories (ok - I enjoy this one !!)
get girls to bed
clean kitchen

We had a great and (in the true Dada tradition) low-key day. Overcast but dry and warm. Big breakfast after mass ... worked out fairly: Méabh served Mass, I served breakfast!!! Easy afternoon with Sunday snooze for Alana and me. Lovely dinner (Fajitas) put together by Doireann. The girls have been incredibly helpful all week. They are all very tired. D. just took her inhaler as she is very caught up - but between swims, travelling, strange beds, helping with (ok, seeing as she is going to be reading this I'd better be accurate: ) DOING the laundry, giving Alana a tour of the attic, etc she has done really well. Also, I have failed miserably in getting them to bed at anything resembling a normal time.

Going into work in the morning and I'm dropping off D & A at the bus in Kinvara for a days shopping. It wont be a full day as I have to do a shopping for food and also pick up Mum and Mary at Athenry around 5-ish (tbc!). I'm going to offer Mary my car for Tuesday if the 4 of them want to go to Quin for the day (I hope to spend some time Tues in work as well).

Better head to bed (via the sitting room for 20 mins).

Good night and God Bless.

A quick note ..........................

Hi Mum !!!

Just back from Wicklow with Alana. The journey passed very quickly.  Everyone's healthy and happy apart from my asthma seems to be playing up :( but i'll live........................... :)
Better go help dad unpack :(

Lots and Lots of Love,
Doireann xx

Down in Wicklow

Hi Mum,
How are you? 
Meeting the Chief sounded really cool! 
I can't believe that you've been gone for just a week. It seems like it was ages ago when we dropped you off! 
Last night Doireann, Alana and I slept in the T.V. room. Doireann and Alana slept on the pull-out bed, and I slept on the couch. We stayed up late, watching most of "You've Got Mail". We didn't go to bed until 12:25. 
This morning we stayed in bed until 12:00. Then Alana and I went with Poppy's to the shop. We got potatoes, a newspaper and an apple crumble.
The weather is very bad, so me and Doireann's plan to teach Alana how to play camogie isn't working. 
Today we are going back to Galway. 


Thats all for now,
Méabh. xxx

Greeting from Ghana

Hiya ladies and Dada,
I hope that you are all safely home from Kerry with lots of happy memories. It looks like you are just home in time to unpack and then it will be time to get on the road again to Wicklow. I'm sure you are looking forward to seeing Alana.
Tomorrow is our last day in school and on Saturday we will head part of the way south as far as Kumasi and stay in the priests house for one night.
There is a good shopping place there, a kind of tourist market and I am looking forward to that.
There is another thunder storm tonight, it was very hot during the day today and now I must try to lie down and sleep.
A big hug and a kiss to each of you.
Love Mama.  

Guess who's to blame for the Quiz Failure ....

... and typically, I found out that I was the culprit online first.

Hi, home again. We are having a great time. The girls are great. The lawn is cut and the girls are doing trojan work in the house getting it ready for Alana. They can't wait to see her.

It was quite a long journey home but with quizes and chat it seemed to fly by. The girls are so patient with their "no snack" Dad! Of course, they exact their revenge in spades when we do get to a restaurant!!! We stopped in Ennis and had a lovely lunch in "Food Heaven". Plates were cleaned and then so were the hot chocolate cups (surprise, surprise) and then so was my wallet.

With the intermittent broadband in Banna, I didn't get to tell you the phrase of the week: On Tuesday afternoon we got back to the house and the girls were chilling out in the Living Room watching telly, doing puzzles, etc. I was in my room reading when who arrives in but Small Bear. After a few hugs and tickles we were lying down chatting when Clodagh said:
"Daddy I'm tired .... can we go to the park ?" 
We both just creased up laughing!

Anyway, the chef has the dinner on the table and I don't want to get in trouble so I'd better let you go.

Lots of love from Doirling.

Hi Mum!

Hi Mum, 
How are you? Just back from a long and hot journey from Kerry. Doireann and Clodagh ran over to the school with some tins for Ms. Kelly. 
In Ennis we stopped for lunch at around 2:00. 
We went from Kerry to Clare on the Ferry. It was VERY cold! 
Ben's not around at the moment. 
Tomorrow we're going down to Wicklow. I don't think we will be staying for the night. 
Last night, we went to a family quiz. We were doing quite well, until we got to the adults T.V. round. You can guess what happened then! 
Missing you loads,
Méabh.

Swimming!

Hi Mum,
How are you? Everyone's fine here. Today we went to the swimming pool. It was so much fun. We spent ages there. Afterwards we went to a restaurant. That's all for now.
Lots of Love,
Méabh.

havin a ball down in kerry.

havin a ball.


just saved the last pizza bagle.


i am sorry cos it's a mouldy one and i think dad was saving that one for you.


how's it going over there ?


i am getting the hang of braid.


dad is getting worried that you will be angery at him.


havein a ball.


clodagh

Off to the pool

Hi!

Lovely talking to you last night. Hope today is going well. We are just getting ready to go to the pool here in the complex. It looked nice last night when we saw it from outside. Everybody fully geared up.

Have decided to nickname Tralee as "the Beehive" - cos any time we go into a shop I get seriously stung !!!

It's kind of overcast here at the moment - but not too cold. We are leaving the beach til later in the hope that the water will be warmer at that stage (ok, we're stretching a bit!).

Anyhow, not much news. No calls from Orbrio TG but got one from Cliodhna - even  after I sent her a text saying I was away and to ring Jacqui. Sometimes ..... !

I have Clodagh here waiting to post.

Love to all there.

Hi Mum

Hi Mum,
How are you? Everyone is fine here. Right now Clodagh is making crying sounds and is pretending to sleep on my shoulder. (VERY annoying!) Everyones getting ready to go down to Kerry. (Except Dad, who is sleeping!) Doireann wasn't feeling well this morning, and for a while we thought we would have to go to Kerry tomorrow instead. Yesterday I went with Hannah to Briar Hill. First we dropped Isabelle and James to a party at 
Hip-Kidz.We went and had Hot Chocolates with Claire and Terry Vick and Claire's mum after we dropped them off. They asked me lots of questions about you going to Ghana. I surprised myself by knowing all the answers! We went to Dunnes when we had finished our Hot Chocolates. I got a Minnie Mouse top, and a Fathers Day Card. I was talking to Julie after mass, and she said shed arrange a day for me to come over soon. Thats all for now,
Méabh. Xxx.     

You're unpacking and we're packed!

All the angels are asleep and in bed. They did lists and then went and packed their bags. We looked at the site briefly and they are SO excited as am I. It looks nice. And even though Monday is supposed to be very wet there is the Aquadome in Tralee and plenty of other things to be doing around.

Can't wait til you get settled and connected to get some news. I wonder how many times the blog was checked by us today hoping for some additions.

I don't think the girls will be in school at all this week. I'm cursing our luck ... Méabh's tour to BOAC is on Wednesday. Though as usual with our guys it didn't knock a feather out of her - the holiday wins every time! You'd be proud of me: worrying about the switch over of clothes coming back from Tralee and the heading to Wicklow. Still we'll manage. Don't know if you picked up but this is the place that Anne and Danny like a lot. With the weather forecasted so wet I figured an island was too limiting. Hopefully all goes well.

Anyway, 11:40 ... time to go ... early start ... full day ! Goodnight.

Cat Hairs and Spaghetti Hoop Sauce

...  that's what I'm looking at (Doireann)!

Just in from shopping. Even though I did all the aisles as usual I feel that I didn't do a good shop. Loadsa goodies (of course) but not a lot else. You're missing Fajitas tonight.

Dropped Méabh off at Angelas. Not sure what the plans are - their 2 younger ones are going to a party at HipKidz - so I think Angela, Hannah and Méabh are going shopping. Méabh was delighted to be going but had to confer with Doireann before making up her mind ... think they know tomorrow is Father's Day.

I also got that comms cabinet dropped off to cosyHomeHeating. Shed looks twice the size and there's still one left.

Clodagh was a great help with Doireann: came back to a nice clean kitchen - and hopefully the beds are made and the w-i-w is tidy now (well Doireann ????)

Not much else happening here.

Lotsalove!

Saturday Morning

My Saturday began at around 8 am. After hasty breakfast of bagels with strawberry jam we headed towards Siobhán's for piano. Clodagh went first followed by Méabh and finally me. I'm learning 3 pieces for my exam in November; Bagatlle, Tarantelle and Sentimental Rumba (composed by my last examiner Aidan Duggan). My results haven't arrived......... I have very little faith in my marks.


We went to Londis to buy crispy rolls, maple cured bacon and spaggetti-hoops. Clodagh got a Disney Princess magazine which contained a free box and lock (which she occupied herself unlocking and locking it all through breakfast!) I had the smart idea of stuffing my roll with spaggetti hoops which obvisously ended up all over my jeans......


Enjoy the trip to Sunyani mum !!!!
Love Doireann xxxxxxm

Hi Mum!

Hi Mum,
Hope all is going well. How are you? Everyone was VERY impressed when I told them about you meeting Jedward! We won the girls cup in the Gaelic Football today. I played in Forwards for the whole match. I didn't score any points or goals, but I set up a few. Afterwards everyone went back to Ms. Tarpey's house for sweets and orange juice. Ben is in a good mood.
Thats all for now,
Méabh
P.S.
I'm sooooo not jealous!

email's from galway to ghana.

Hi mum.

how's it going?

say hi to niomie & ogustin.

love your smallist cild in the house..................................

clodagh
xx oo x o

10:30 am and hungover

Bleary-eyed, tired and nobody to fall back on, I woke up grumpily telling myself to get going. Of course I was last up with Doireann telling me to get up and Clodagh telling me to sleep in and Meabh looking for a cuddle. When we got back at 4 Clodagh was half asleep, so I lifted her into our bed. D & M hopped into Meabhs bed (giddy as goats - had to be growled at at least twice - and even then I could hear muffled chuckling).

After insisting on some breakfast we all got ready - the two bigger ones itching to get over to school so that they could go to matches.

It was a lovely sight to see the 3 of them toddling over together again. That set me up for the day.

2.30am and chocolate crossaints.

Basically the the title tells all. At two thirty this morning I opted for chocolate crossaints (not a good idea considering the sugar-rush that would proceed) along with Méabh and clodagh while mum and dad had porridge. I definatly didn't imagine myself to be in this position at 2.30am 17/06/2010. Well, it was our last breckie together for 2 weeks. The next one would probably be in Terminal Two in DAA.
After packing the car, we all clambered into the silver people carrier quizing mum wether she had her yellow card, pass port and money. Méabh was well prepared with her new turquoise book light and "Malory Towers" and with blankets on our knees we set off to Galway.

We were the second to arrive after Eileen and were closely followed by Clare, Rachel, Lucy and Maria. Ya know the way mum complains that she does school work out of school time? Well it is kinda her own fault bringing up the junior cert and leaving cert every time she meets a teacher :) Jenny arrived and the girls, Eileen and mum decided to board the "No-Stop Dublin Airport" bus. Inside I was bawling crying but I tried not to show for a few reasons; Clodagh and Méabh would cry also, Mum would bawl and lets be honest, I wouldn't like it to be spread around Seamount about me crying my eyes out on a plastic seat's arm at 3 in the morning. I am going to miss mum sooooooo much! Especially at 6.30 eating digestives and reading the Irish times travel section before mass on Sunday morning.

Mum I love you soooo much! Have a Ball,
Doireann x